Ceiling electric-light fixture



L. SIMMONS CE-ILING ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE Oct. 15, 1929.

Filed Sept. 23, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 15, 1929. L. SIMMONS CEILING ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE Filed Sept. 23, 1926 V 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STATE rice CEILING ELECTRIC-LIGHT FIXTURE Application filed September This invention provides a ventilator ceiling electric light fixture constructed and arranged to carry electric lights and permit electric wiring for such lights that will be in accordance with municipal and governmental electric wiring regulations and re-.

quirements, and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanations of the accompanying drawings that illustrate What I now believe to be the preferred mechanical expression or cinbodiment of the invention from among other forms, constructions and arrangements with in the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a ventilated electric light fixture for location at the ceiling with the ends in view of providing a convenient support for electric lights and enclosed protecting passages for the electric wiring leading to such lights and for the application of the terminal or distributing boxes for such electric wiring, as well as for the arrangement of the electric lights to freely permit adjustment to control and promote the up or ofi' flow of air heated by such lights, and incidentally the ventilation of the room,

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features in construction or arrangements, and in combinations as more fully and particularly set forth and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing an embodiment of my invention applied to a ceiling, the ventilator or closure disk being shown approximately in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional elevation.

Fig. 3 is a detailed plan of the fixture, a portion of the annulus being shown in horizontal sections, dotted lines indicating wiring, the terminal or distributing box being indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, the electric light pendants not being shown, dotted lines indicating certain wiring.

Fig. 5 is a detailed. cross section through so the terminal box.

23, 1926. Serial No. 137,288.

In the drawings, the ceiling 1, of a room or other enclosure is shown. To provide for ventilation, and for the application of the electric light fixture of my invention to this ceiling, a suitable opening a, usually circular, is formed vert'cally through the ceiling so as to open into an air space above the ceiling, or into an otltalie air duct between joists 2. i

The electric light fixture of my invention embodies a metal ring or annulus 3 that is set into the opening 2 from the lower end thereof and this annulus is suitably secured, as by screws 4, usually approximately fiush with the ceiling and provides a vertical air escape opening in continuation of the openmg a.

The annulus also carries the ventilator or closure dish 6, for opening and closing tie lower end of the ventilating flue or opening a.

The annulus 3 provides a central, preferably elevatcd, support for the disk (3. F or instance in the particular example illustrated, I show the annulus formed with several spaced rigid arms 2, in this instance arranged radially of the annulus and converging inwardly and at their inner ends joined to or integral with a central elevated hub 8 having a vertical internally threaded bore,

This hub 8 carries the closure dish 6 through the medium of a vertical central crew or longitudinally threaded spindle 9, at its lower end secured to the center of the disk 6 and upstanding therefrom through the huh 8, and in mesh with the thread thereof. The upper end 9 of this screw 9 is preferably enlarged to limit the downward movement of the screw. llhe lower end of the screw preferably extends through a central opening in the closure disk, and the disk is clamped and normally fixed to the screw by means of up per clamp nut 10 and lower ornamental nut 11, bearing against the upper and under portions of the disk respectively. By this arrangement the electric light fixture parts can be readily assembled afterthe annulus 3, has been fixed in the ceiling. Thelower end of the screw 9 can be inserted in the hub 8, and screwed downwardly therethrough, before the disk 6 is applied to the screw. There aftenthc nut 10' can he screwed a slriort tance onto the screw 9 from the lower end thereof, the disk 6 can he slipped onto the I nuts 11 and 10. Certain advantages in man .room to raise or lower the disk to ufacture and assembly are gained by this arrangement.

The underside of the horizontally disposed disk 6 is ornamental in character and is preterably so formed as to provide shoulders or projections to engage the end of a cane or other article by which the disk can be rapidly rotated in either direction from within the close or open the ventilating opening.

It will be noted that the disk 6 is located and accessible from within the room to be ventilated and that the disk is located below the ventilating opening and below the annulus and that it closes up against the annulus and drops below the annulus when manipulated to open the ventilating duct a, for outward passageof air.

It is exceedingly desirable to provide these vertical ceiling ventilating openings, in the central portion of a ceiling, the portion of the ceiling that is usually occupied by electric light fixtures, or from which electric light fixtures usually hang. It is also exceedingly desirable to provide for the cooling of ceiling electric lights, by the removal of the high ly heated air from such light.

Forthis purpose, among others, I utilize, the ventilator annulus, as a support to carry 'two or more symmetrically arranged electric lights, so that the electricbulbs carried by ueh lights will be below and more or less adjacent to the ventilating flue a, and in the path of the direct upfiow of air to and through the of two annular sections, namely, the main or upper section 3, preferable, cast or otherwise a formed in one piecexw'ith the'arms 7 and the hub 8, said section 3, being trough-like or inverted U-shape in cross section, and the bottom section 3*, in the form of a fiat metal ring fitted to the under side of the trough section 3, toelose the same. The two sections 3, 3 are secured together by any suitable means, for instance by vertical machine screws 3;

The approximately flat ring 3, is preferspect to the corrspondingdiameter of trough-section 3, of the annulus, to close up against the bottom edges of the trough seeu tion 3, and form an outwardly projecting annular flange lapping the under surface ofthe ceiling and covering the joint and ceiling raw edge around trough 3. This ring 3, also forms the stop limiting the upward closing rotation of closure disk 6.

The electric light bulb sockets 12, that receive the light bulbs 13, are carried by and hung from the annulus section or bottom ring 3, as by chain link or other suitable hangers 14-, embodying eye belts or screws 15, depending from and clamped to or screwed into the ring 3". The ring 3, is shown formed with vertical holes 3 to receive the longitudinally hollow or tubular nipples or shanks 15, of eye bolts 15, secured therein by screw threads or other suitable means.

The annulus section 3, is also constructed and arranged to receive and carry the terminal or distributing box 17, for the electric wiring. This terminal box can be of the usual construction with an inlet opening 17", for the cable or metal tube 18 enclosing the wires from the house wiring which cable extends into the box and is secured therein by the common clamp 18. This box also has a. bottom outlet for the various wires 16 leading from the cable to supply the various light bulb sockets 12. This outlet is through a tubular threaded nipple 17", at its upper end opening into the box 17, and at its lower end depending from the box and screwed into a tapped or threaded hole 3", in the annulus 3. In the example shown, the hole 3, is vertical and extends through the top wall of the annulus, and the nipple 17*, when screwed thereinto, supports the box in a vertical position upstanding from the annulus. The lower end of the nipple opens into the hollow annulus. The separated wires 16 of the cable pass from the nipple into the interior of the annulus and extend within the annulus to their respective openings 3 and the hollow shanks 15, therein, through which they are threaded to descend to their respective bulb sockets 12, all in accordance with municipal and governmental electric wiring requirements.

The bottom wall 3, of the hollow ventilator annulus can be formed throughout the circle thereof with a multiplicity of vertical holes 3", to accommodate any desired number of electric light pendants equal to or less than the full number of holes 3", according to the requirements of each installation.

It will hence be noted that two or more electric light bulbs can be carried by and arranged below the supporting annulus, and that said annulus carries, encloses and proteets the electric wiring leading to the lights depending from the annulus, and that the annulus also carries the terminal box for the wiring, and that said box is concealed from below when the annulus is fixed in the ceiling. In fact, the electric lighting fixture, the wiring therefor, and the ceiling ventilator, are carried by the annulus.

. The ventilator disk 6, is freely accessible ventilating flue in the ceiling.

et ls the ventilator disk.

The electric light fixture construction is designed to permit easy wiring for the lights, of any particular installation, after the fixture has, in part at least, been secured in the V For instance, the trough like section of the annulus, with the terminal box mounted thereon, (without the bottom plate 3, and the ventilator disk and its threaded spindle) can be properly located and to or in the ceiling in or surrounding the ventilating flue a. The opening through the annulus is then unobstructed, except for the arms 7. The mechanic from either above or below, can insert the flexible metal tube 18 carrying the wires 16, from the house wiring, into the terminal box 17, and properly secure the same therein by the usually employed clamp 18, with the wires 16, extending down through the box and the tubular nipple 17", to hang freely through the trough of the annulus. The bottom or cover plate 3" having the required number of eyes 15, secured therein, can then be brought to position below the annulus, and the free end wires 16 can be threaded down through their appropriate tubular nipples of the eyes 15. Said bottom plate is then ntted to the trough of the annulus and firmly secured thereto, the wires 16 being pulled down through the eye nipples, to assume their do sired positions in and around the then completed and closed annulus.

The lower end of the spindle 9 (separated from the closure disk) can then be inserted in and screwed down through hub 8, and thereafter the disk 6, can be secured to the lower end of the spindle as hereinbefore described.

he bottom plate or ring 3, is provided with a plurality of points 3 for the attachment of electric light pendants, preferably uniformly spaced around the circle of the ring. For instance, in the particular example illustrated I happen to show twelve such points. The arrangement is such that the number of lights required by any particular installation from, say, two up to and including twelve, can be applied to provide a balanced or symmetrical arrangement. The plate is preferably constr cted with the full number of attaching points clearly indicated thereon with the metal at said points weakened so that portions thereof can be easily broken or punched through to provide the number of holes 3 spaced to meet the light requirements of the particular installation.

It is evident that various changes, modifications, and variations might be resorted to w thout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and hence I donot wish to limit the invention to substantially the exact disclosures hereof.

lVhat I claim is 1. A ventilated ceiling electric lightlixture embodying an annulus adapted to be secured to a ceiling surrounding a vertical ventilating opening therethrr )ugh, said annulus provided with electric wire outlets and with an electric wire inlet, whereby the wires are enclosed within the annulus from the inlet to the outlets, said annulus in its bottom wall providing for the attachment of electric light supporting means.

2. A ventilated ceiling electric light fixtures embodying a supporting annulus of trough formation to receive electric light wires, a terminal box rising from said annu his and opening thereinto, and a bottom plate for closing the trough of said annulus and having wire outlets therefrom and depending electric light supports.

An electric light fixture embodying an annulus in the form of an inverted annular trough, and an annular bottom plate removably secured to the trough and covering the open bottom thereof, said annulus adapted to support electric light supports and hav ing an inlet for wires leading to and distrib uted within the annulus and wire outlets leading to said electric lights.

l. A ventilated ceiling electric light fixture embodying a supporting annulus for depending electric lights and adapted to be secured surrounding a vertical ventilating opening in a ceiling, said annulus provided with a central fixed vertical nut in said opening and nut supporting arms connecting the annulus and nut; a closure disk for said opening and arranged below said annulus; a longitudinally threaded central spindle upstanding from and supporting said disk and meshing with and freely rotatable in said nut and at its upper end above the nut formed with a stop to prevent downward detachment from the nut; said disk having a central ver' tical hole removably receiving the lower end of the spindle; and means for normally rigidly claiming the disk on the lower end of the spindle.

5. A ventilating ceiling electric light fixture provided with means for supporting electric lights below a vertical ventilating outlet through the ceiling, said fixture embodying a supporting annulus to be secured to the ceiling surrounding said outlet and provided with a central member and arms supporting the same from the annulus in said outlet; and a closure disk for and arranged below said outlet and the annulus, and supported from said central member and movable vertically with respect thereto to cooperate with the annulus to control said outlet, said disk being accessible for raising and lowering from Within the room, said disk being arranged With respect to said electric lights to move vertically toward and from said annulus Without interference With said electric lights and the supporting means therefor.

Signed at Washington, D. 0., this 21stday of September, 1926. 10 LEO SIMMONS. 

